


The Tale Of The Three

by DarkHououmon



Category: Dinotopia - James Gurney
Genre: Dinosaur - Freeform, Dinotopia - Freeform, F/M, Growing, Gurney, Tolerance, Zealousy, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-14
Updated: 2012-09-20
Packaged: 2017-11-14 05:52:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/512010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkHououmon/pseuds/DarkHououmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crashland

**Author's Note:**

> An old Dinotopia story I started. I never got far with it. Yes like the last couple others, this is a work I haven't written for in a long time. But I figured I'd post what I did anyway.

Darcy tripped against the floor of the ship and found herself stumbling forward. The ship had been struck with another powerful wave of water. As Darcy made her way down the corridor, she could hear the thunder crack outside of the boat and she could imagine the flash of lightning as the rain continued to pour mercilessly on the ship. And mixed in with the sounds of the storm, she could hear the cries of men as they either scrambled to get out of the storm or keep the ship from being capsized at sea.

Darcy tried to keep her footing by pressing her hands against the wall in a desperate attempt to retain some kind of traction. Water had flowed into this part of the boat. The floor was soaked and slippery. It was very difficult to move quickly without tumbling down. The waves that still slammed against the boat did not make things any easier for her to keep her balance.

As she struggled to get to the deck of the ship, many thoughts ran through her mind, too fast for her to comprehend individually. Thoughts of her father came to her mind and she bit her lip and tried to hide her tears. She missed him dearly and she had regretted getting on the ship in the first place. But amidst the chaos of the storm, her thoughts were so focused on getting to safety that she could not even remember why she got on.

But that didn't matter right now. Although a gut feeling told her that she should remain hidden, she had to get to the deck. It might have been suicide in being out in the open during a storm, but she would not do so well back in that corridor either. Water was everywhere and, although she couldn't be sure, it may have been flooding as well.

Darcy reached the deck of the ship and was immediately greeted by a flash of lightning so loud that she covered her eyes and stumbled backwards. She blinked a few times and took a look at her surroundings. The men hadn't noticed her yet, and there were few, far fewer than Darcy remembered when she first got on. They were rushing across the ship, struggling to keep the sails from ripping from their anchor.

Darcy made her way towards the edge of the ship to get a better look at the water. It was completely restless. Waves rolled across the water. The water itself continued move up and down, causing the ship to constantly sway. The clouds were dark, a near black coloring. She looked towards the side of the boat and could see that even small waves were constantly striking the boat, as though the boat had done something to anger the sea.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Over there! A woman!"

Then another. "By the.. it is!"

Darcy turned around to see that some of the men had noticed she was aboard. They were looking at her in a weird way, their eyes widened in fear. She had been told the tales by her father. Women weren't allowed on ships. They were considered to be bad luck.

One of the men got a furious look on his face. "She's the reason why we're caught in this storm! Who's the idiot who brought her along?"

"It doesn't matter now! What are we going to do?" Asked the man who had stopped Darcy in the first place.

"There's only one thing to do..." The angry man said before he began to advance on the woman.

Darcy's eyes widened and she pressed herself against the edge of the ship and gripped the sides with her hands. She had no where to go and she could feel her heart starting to race. She looked behind her in hopes of finding a lifeboat. To her luck, there was one still tied to the ship. The others were missing. But she didn't care why. This was her chance out of here.

"She's going to try to escape!" Yelled one of the men. "Stop her!"

The man closest to her immediately sized her arm and yanked her from the side of the ship. Darcy tried to fight with him, pounding his arm with her free fist. The man chuckled. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Let me go!" That was all Darcy had to say as she continued to try to get herself free.

Another man immediately came forward and grabbed her other arm and helped his comrade force the woman to walk with them. Despite being easily overpowered, Darcy still tried to fight back. She didn't even bother to see where they were taking her. All she wanted was to be free.

"She won't stop fighting...!" Said one of the men trying to restrain Darcy.

"She's a wild one, I'll give her that." The other one responded and tightened his grip on the girl's arm.

Darcy glared up at one of the men holding her. "You better let me go, or I'll..."

"You'll do nothing!" The man who had grabbed her first glared back. "You already did enough by bringing this blasted storm to us! But don't you worry, we know of a way to stop it..."

Darcy didn't know what they had in mind, but the way the man said that gave her a sickening feeling. By this time, she had stopped struggling. She had exhausted much of her strength trying to fight off these men and it was all in vain. She walked obediently with the men, which pleased them.

Just then, a wall of water struck the ship, more violently than the others had. The ship rocked violently to one side and water splashed onto the deck of the ship, sweeping away most of the men. The water struck the men holding Darcy, knocking all three to the floor and pushing them violently towards the side of the ship. The man had released their grip on Darcy as they scrambled to save their own lives. Yet another wave struck and the men found themselves being swept overboard and into the angry seas below.

Darcy screamed as she held onto the side of the boat, desperately trying not to fall overboard herself. She managed to catch a glimpse of the lifeboat below her. She swallowed once and jumped onto the boat just as another wave hit. She quickly pulled out a knife she was keeping for protection and sliced the ropes holding the lifeboat to the ship. The lifeboat fell against the water and Darcy immediately pressed her body against the bottom of the lifeboat, hoping she wouldn't be tossed out.

She dared to sit up long enough to see the ship she was just on being pushed onto its side and letting water flood into the compartments of the ship. As the ship started to sink, Darcy's attention turned to the waves that continued to roll across the unsteady waters. She found herself being pushed into the air by the constantly moving waters and a feeling of nausea struck her as she realized that her only chance at getting back home was sinking beneath the water.

Before she had time to react, another wave struck, this one smaller but still packing a lot of force. She was knocked backwards and she slammed her head against the floor of the lifeboat. Her vision began to blur and the last thing she saw before she went unconscious was a small ray of light pushing its way through the dark clouds.


	2. Enter The Zealot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Darcy awoke with a powerful headache. She kept her eyes closed as she strained to sit up. She gingerly touched the spot where she was feeling the pain and pulled her hand back immediately. She wondered what had happened. She had vague memories of being on a ship and then a storm, but it was all blank after that.

She felt something cold and soft in her hands. Although her eyes were closed, it didn't take a genius to know she was laying on soft dirt covered in short grasses. She managed to sit up all the way and opened her eyes. Her vision was a blur, but she could make out the green grass that covered the ground. And then she saw dark blue and recognized it as the ocean that she must have been swept away in. She let out a moan as she gripped at the grass tightly, trying to remember how she ended up here to begin with.

The air around her was calm, although mildly windy once in a while. She could still smell the ocean air, but it was intermingled by the smell of the trees that were all around her. She was vaguely aware of the sound of water running, possibly a river. The sounds of birds chirping filled her mind. Darcy had never seen these kinds of foliage before. The plants and the trees seemed so foreign to her. And yet, despite the strangeness of the immediate area, she could sense that there was also a calmness of this place, something she hadn't felt in years.

And it frightened her.

Then her hand grazed something soft and almost furry. Her eyes widened at the sudden touch. She glanced over at what she had touched. And what she saw nearly made her scream.

It was a small creature, none of which the likes she had seen before. It stood on two legs and was covered in feathers, which reminded her of a bird. But the thing's eyes were wide and red-colored and its mouth was open, showing rows of sharp teeth. And it wasn't alone. All around it, other animals of the same species were approaching the area, making sounds that almost resemble a bird's chirp.

Darcy scrambled to get up to her feet, trying to get away from the strange beasts. She tripped and fell into the ground. The creatures approached her, chirping several times. When one of them got too close, Darcy defended herself by slamming her foot into the creature's body and knocked it into the ground.

"Get away from me, you horrid beasts!" Darcy yelled at them, as if they understood her words.

The creatures still standing tilted their heads in curiosity. The one that Darcy just kicked was back on its feet. It lifted up its arms, which both ended in a single claw, almost like a vicious hook, and let out a louder call. The other creatures immediately raised their claws and Darcy feared the worse and let out a scream.

Just then, there was the sound of heavy footsteps headed her way. Darcy didn't have time to look back. Whoever had heard her scream had arrived onto the scene. It was a man she had never met before. He held what looked to be an old sword. He ran past Darcy and waved the sword at the creatures that were approaching her.

"Back! Get back, you bloody monsters!" The man shouted, keeping the sharp tip of the blade pointed against the creatures.

The animals took a few steps back, but they didn't run off. They chirped again, almost like they were confused. The man waved the sword close to them, nearly striking one in the process. But the creatures still came. It was like they had no fear of man or didn't understand what the man was trying to do.

"I said back!" The man struck forward with the sword. The blade narrowly missed one of the creatures and struck into the ground, centimeters away from another animal's foot.

The creatures seemed to get the message. Screeching loudly, they immediately turned and ran off.

Darcy stared in astonishment as the strange creatures took off, disappearing into the thick foliage. She slowly picked herself up off the ground and turned her head towards the man who came to her rescue. Although the man still had a glare facing towards where the creatures had taken off, she still felt compelled to approach him. What skill and courage this man must have to face such a terrible threat and drive it away...

The man lowered his arm so that the sword rested harmlessly at his side. He turned his head over and saw Darcy approaching him. "Are you all right?" He asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes...I am." Darcy said. "Thank you..."

The man put away his sword, sliding it into a sheath he had strapped around his waist. "May I ask what a fair young lass like yourself is doing out here, all alone?"

Darcy shifted her posture uneasily at the question. She bit her lip, not wanting to think about the events that lead to her getting on that doomed ship. "..I just got here..."

The man's expression changed to that of surprise. "You mean you shipwrecked here?" A nod from the girl answered his question. "Oh I'm so sorry that happened to you." In an attempt to comfort the young girl, the man asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Darcy shrugged her shoulders. "I...I don't know, sir."

There was a moment of silence. Darcy still remained surprised by this man's sudden appearance. But how he was able to arrive so quickly didn't matter anymore. He had managed to save her and she was grateful for that.

"My name is Elijah." The man said, placing a hand on his chest to indicate himself. He then motioned towards the girl. "And who might you be...?"

Darcy hesitated slightly before she gave her answer. "It's...Darcy."

"Darcy, is it?" Elijah smiled softly. Darcy nodded her head. "Such a nice name for a girl like yourself..." Elijah said to himself.

"So what were you doing out here, anyway? Did I...interrupt anything?"

Elijah chuckled lightheartedly. "Why no, you haven't. I was just on my way to Black Fish Tavern when I heard your screams."

"Black Fish Tavern? You mean...there are people here?"

"Well yes..." Elijah suddenly scowled softly. "If you can call most of the people on this forsaken island 'people'..." Elijah quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry about that... I..haven't quite gotten used to this place. I'm not from around here, either."

The girl was confused by Elijah's sudden change in voice in his statement. What did he mean by what he had said? From the way he was talking, it was almost as if he was implying that the people of this island were all...abnormal. And that couldn't be right...could it?

So this island was inhabited... That was a relief to Darcy. She was worried that she was stuck on some uninhabited island with no chance of getting off. Seeing this man did calm her fears of being alone, but until he had confirmed that there were, in fact, other people on the island, she was worried he was the only person. As soon as she got the chance, she could ask someone on the island where the docks were. Surely these people had a mode of transportation if someone like Elijah could get to the island...

Elijah didn't dwell on the subject too long. "Anyway, I should be on my way. I want to get to Black Fish Tavern before nightfall."

Darcy looked up at the sky. The sun was still high overhead. "It is going to take you that long to reach it?"

"I...don't really know. It just depends on how many more creatures we would run into..." Elijah said.

Darcy took a step back. "We? Creatures?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I should have asked you first." He said apologetically. "Would you like to come with me to Black Fish Tavern? It's...probably not a place for you, but it's safer than out here with those monsters."

Darcy felt a little relieved that Elijah had basically offered to take her to a safer area, but the thought of there being other strange beasts on this island, like the ones she had already encountered, was unsettling to her. She began to wonder how the locals dealt with such things.

"You're saying there's more of..those things..?" Darcy asked.

Elijah frowned and nodded his head. "I'm afraid so. And those were just weaklings I fought off. There's some monsters here that could swallow you alive if they wished."

Darcy gulped and rubbed her throat as she imagined seeing such an enormous creature barreling towards her. "And..what were those things?"

"The people here call them dinosaurs. I call them dragons. There's no difference."

"Dragons..." Darcy repeated under her breath. She had thought they were only a myth, created for fantasy stories. She felt unsettled at the thought of dragons being a reality. What a nightmarish thought that was...

She decided not to dwell on this subject anymore. She took a look around the area again. "So, where are we, exactly? You seem to know your way around here... So where am I?"

"The name of the island or the name of the forest we are currently in?"

"Both..I suppose."

"Well, the island's name, as the locals call it, is Dinotopia." Elijah said, his voice slightly tinged by anger as he said the name 'Dinotopia'. "And the forest we are in is Blackwood Flats."

Darcy nodded her head as she took in this new information. Dinotopia...that sounded like a variant of that other strange name the man had given her: dinosaur. If the island was as infested with these monsters as Elijah had hinted, then the inhabitants of this island chose the name well. "And how are you going to get to Black Fish Tavern?"

Elijah pointed to the sandbank where the waves from the sea splashed. "I just follow that bank to Jubila River, then cross that river, and then I continue to follow the shoreline. Black Fish Tavern isn't far from there. It isn't too hard to find. The only other place there is Spiker."

Darcy nodded her head again. "Sounds easy enough to remember."

"So...do you want to come with me?" Elijah asked.

Darcy said, "No..not now. I...want to get something to eat first." She heard her stomach growl. She remembered the bird calls from earlier. "I'll probably go hunting. My father taught me how."

Elijah nodded his head. "Well, my advice for you is to stick to the river over there." He pointed to the river that Darcy hadn't noticed until now. "It might be easier for you to find something that way. Oh and another thing..."

"What is it?" Darcy asked.

"...don't let yourself be seen when you hunt."

"What...?" Darcy was confused. "Why not?"

"Just...don't let yourself be seen..okay?" Elijah said again. "Anyway, I must get going. I wish you the best of luck."


	3. Meet Richard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Roughly an hour had passed and Elijah found himself on the trail he usually took to reach Black Fish Tavern. The air around him was a little warm, but he was constantly cooled as a soft breeze caressed the forest. A mild, sweet scent hung in the air, its source everywhere: several small flowers that decorated the forest. The forest was filled with the sound of chirping from the gulls that frequently visited the island.

Elijah was almost tempted to call the island paradise. But no, this island was no paradise. It was a prison, one that was filled with those horrid dragons, populating the land, sea, and sky. Most of the island's inhabitants were hypnotized or corrupted, tricked into believing these dragons. Every time he even just thought about how most of the island's inhabitants interacted so peacefully with the dragons, he seethed in anger.

And now he was faced with the prospect that another innocent would fall under the beasts' evil spell. He thought back to Darcy. If there was anyone who could protect her from submitting to the dragons, keep her from becoming 'impure', it was him.

He wondered how she came upon the island. He had been on his way to Black Fish Tavern when he had heard someone scream. He rushed to the scene as quickly as he could. When he came upon the scene, he realized he had come just in time. The young girl was surrounded by several small, fuzzy dragons. The girl looked absolutely frightened, and the dragons were getting too close to her.

Getting the monsters away was quite easy. Small dragons were usually cowardly. A mere kick would have sent them running away. He didn't even need to use the sword on them. But all dragons were alike, regardless of size. In his eyes, none of the creatures deserved any kind of mercy.

He was disappointed that Darcy turned down his offer to come with him. Although Darcy was old enough to be on her own, he still felt that she should have at least tagged along with him so she could be protected. Darcy wasn't very old. He estimated that she probably wasn't even thirty years old yet. Part of him wanted to go back and find her, but another part of him was confident that Darcy would change her mind and come find him at Black Fish Tavern on her own, provided that she remember the directions he had given her.

Suddenly, the sound of a windmill churning in the air caught his attention. The distant sound of hay being tossed onto soft grass could be heard. The chatter of people talking and the very distinct dinosaur sounds intermingled with one another in the air. Elijah felt his eyes narrowing. Even though he was still a good distance away, he knew what those sounds meant: he was close to one of the dreaded hatcheries that laced across the island like a plague.

Normally, the path he would take would keep him far away from this particular place, but he had deliberately changed course to stay closer to the river, and Darcy, even though he knew this path would take him close to a hatchery. If he was lucky, no one at the hatchery would notice him passing through nearby.

A few minutes later and the sounds became more recognizable. The tones of the human voices sounded worried and concerned. At the same time, he could hear the sounds of dragons, two very distinct varieties. One sound was high-pitched, resembling the chirps of birds and the other was low and more guttural. He had been on the island long enough to begin to recognize approximately what kind of dragon was nearby just by the sound. He recognized the first sounds as belonging to the same species as the creatures he had fended off earlier and the other he recognized as one of the frilled monsters.

Elijah quickened his pace. The faster he was away from this wretched place, the better. His hand trembled and he was tempted to bring out his sword. But he had to control himself. The island inhabitants were often protective of these dragons. One slip up and the dragons could send a horde of their human followers, along with other dragons, to get him.

Just then, he heard the sound of grass rustling behind him. He stopped walking and let out a soft sigh. He looked around and saw a young boy standing there. He looked to be not much older than Darcy herself. A scowl was on his face. Elijah couldn't help but roll his eyes. The boy hadn't even said a word and he already knew what was on the kid's mind.

"What do you want?" Elijah asked.

It was clear the boy was very angry and was trying to control himself. "How could you do such a terrible thing?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" The boy snapped, pointing a finger at Elijah. "You know very well what you just did! You attacked a couple of innocents!"

Elijah asked, "And just how might these innocents be?"

"Those poor dinosaurs, of course!"

Elijah scratched his chin. He then spoke in a somewhat mocking voice. "Well that's strange.. I thought you said that I attacked innocents, not a couple of beasts."

"Beasts?" The boy exclaimed. "They're people, just like you and me!"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I fail to see how they are like you and me. They are dragons, little boy. And all dragons are alike. They're deceiving you, just like they deceive everyone."

Elijah tried to hide a smile as he watched the boy seethe in anger. He could see the boy starting to shake and he knew what was going on in the boy's mind. Under normal circumstances, he would have expected the boy to snap at him. But things were different on Dinotopia. Such behavior was greatly frowned upon, and Elijah knew the boy knew this as well.

"That's..that's not true!" The boy argued through clenched teeth.

"Am I?" Elijah folded his arms. "What was it that convinced you Dinotopians to become vegetarians? What was responsible for changing the way you viewed time?" As he spoke, his voice became etched in anger. "And what tried to abolish our right to hold weapons? The dragons!"

The boy growled. "They taught us that way of life to help better ourselves! They didn't deceive us!"

"They still influenced you people to change the way you lived, didn't they?" Elijah questioned him. When the boy wasn't able to make a response, Elijah said, "That proves my point. The dragons have influenced you. They have brainwashed you. Nothing sickens me more than someone like you defending a race of such despicable scaly abominations."

"You..." The boy clenched a fist, his temper near its peak. Without thinking, he pulled his arm back as if he was about to punch. "I...!"

Elijah smirked. "Turning back on your ways so quickly, Dinotopian?" He said in a mocking voice. "I thought it was against your way of life to try to strike back at the person who angered you. Are you turning against your precious dragons, kid?"

The kid growled again, his arm still raised in the air. Elijah watched him, waiting for him to make his move. He even gestured for the boy to approach him if he dared. But the young man remained where he stood, afraid of breaking the customs he had been taught all his life. Eventually, he left out a soft sigh and lowered his arm. He glared at Elijah a couple more seconds before he turned his back on him and started to walk back towards the hatchery.

"Yeah, that's right. Walk away like the coward you are!" Elijah called after him. "Your kind makes me sick! Go on! Go grovel at the feet of your dinosaur enslavers!"

The boy paused momentarily as if he was contemplating fighting back. But he breathed in deeply, as if he was trying to calm his nerves, and pressed on.

"Coward! Weakling! Wimp! Yellow Belly!" Elijah called after the boy with a smirk on his face. Just as he predicted, the boy didn't stop and instead disappeared from sight. Elijah chuckled and shook his head. That was too easy.

Then his thoughts went back to Darcy. After running into this young man, he felt he should delay his trip to Black Fish Tavern and find her. The tavern wasn't going anywhere. He could spare some time to find Darcy before she had to contend with a Dinotopian. The girl had been through enough recently. The last thing she needed was a Dinotopian trying to corrupt her into accepting their ways.

He eventually made up his mind. He decided to continue his journey to Black Fish Tavern. Darcy would be able to catch up to him if she decided to go there. And if she were to run into that young Dinotopian he had just dealt with, he was certain enough that she would be able to resist his dastardly ways and get away as soon as she could.

Yes, they would meet again soon. He felt sure of that.


	4. Clash Of Two Worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Darcy knelt by the Jubila River and put her hands underneath the water. She splashed her face with water, washing off some dirt that got onto her face earlier.

Wiping away the water with her arm, she glanced up at the trees that provided shade along the riverbank. Light rays shone through the canopy, providing small patches of light in the shade that enveloped the river. Through one of the rays of light, she saw a small, dark shadow fly on, landing on a branch on a tree near her. She put a hand over her eyes to try to get a better look.

The figure turned out to be a bird of some kind. She guessed it was a seagull, judging from its white body, gray wings, and black-tipped beak. The animal was preening its feathers with its beak and surveying the area with its dark eyes.

She felt a bit relieved to see a familiar animal in this island. But it was still a far cry from seeing civilization as she knew it. If what Elijah had told her was true, then she wouldn't find true civilization here. Even though she wanted to get off the island, she was afraid of turning to the natives for help. What if they were just as nutty as Elijah had made them out to be?

She felt her stomach growl and her thoughts turned back to another issue. What was she going to do for food? She had thought of hunting, but she felt hesitant after what Elijah had told her earlier. Perhaps she was better off trying to find berries or something. That would tide her over for a while. And yet it still didn't seem like it would satisfy her for very long.

And what if the berries were poisonous? Many of the plants that she had encountered seemed unfamiliar. And she was taught that eating strange plants could be dangerous. Perhaps sticking to meat would be a better idea. She could at least cook it using a make-shift fire.

She glanced up at the bird again. It hadn't left the tree, although it had bobbed towards the edge of the branch it was standing on. Elijah had advised her to stick to the river if she decided to hunt. And that bird hadn't spotted her yet, even though she was pretty close to the tree. The bird was a tempting target.

But what was she going to use to kill the animal with? She had no gun with her or a make-shift arrow and bow. And the only weapon she saw close by were stones. They looked big enough to kill, but how was she going to hit the bird with them? She thought of a boomerang, but she had none handy. She could just throw the rocks, but she doubted that they would hit the bird, and if they did, chances are it wouldn't be lethal force.

Then she glanced at her arm and saw something she could use. She wore a cloth around her arm, tied tightly against the skin. She had stolen a cloth while she was still on the ship and used it to treat a wound she had received while being forced to hide on the ship. She ripped it from her arm and saw that the wound had healed, except for a scab that stretched across her arm.

She glanced at the cloth. It looked long and sturdy enough to be used as a weapon. She knelt down and picked up a rock and placed it in the cloth. Then grabbing the long ends of the cloth, she lifted her arm in the air and started to swing her arm around. She kept her eyes on the bird and did her best to position herself so that the rock would likely strike the bird.

Then, with a strong jerk of her arm, she struck her arm out. The cloth snapped forward and the rock sailed out.

The bird heard the sound of the cloth and perked its head up. Before it had time to react, something cold and hard struck it in the head. The gull's body stiffened momentarily and then became limp. The animal's body fell to the ground with a thud.

Darcy stared at the scene for a few seconds, wondering if the bird could be still alive. She waited and watched, trying to see if the bird would make any kind of movement. When the bird remained motionless, she got up from her spot and began to walk towards the bird, still being cautious in case there was still a chance the bird was still alive.

She knelt down next to the bird and grabbed it by the leg. She lifted it up off the ground and stared at it. It was a good-sized bird, a bit on the plump side as well. It would probably be enough to feed herself for at least a day or two.

Just then, she saw the bird's head start to move. Realizing that the animal would try to defend itself, she quickly seized the head and then grabbed the animal's neck with her other hand. She quickly twisted the seagull's head, hearing a crack that ensured her that the bird was now dead.

Darcy was about to leave when she heard footsteps behind her. Before she had time to turn around, she heard an angry voice shout at her.

“What have you done?!”

Darcy looked over to see a young boy, looking to be about her age. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was completely furious with her. But what had she done? All she had done was kill one bird so she could get something to eat. Surely, the boy would understand that.

“What do you mean?” Darcy asked, her voice calm. “I was just getting myself something to eat.”

“By murdering a defenseless creature?!” The boy snapped back.

Darcy frowned slightly. “It's not murder. It's survival.”

“No it's not.” The boy insisted. “Predators kill to survive. Humans don't!”

Darcy took a step back. Part of her wanted to leave so she could eat in peace. But the other part of her wanted to say. She wasn't the type of person to run from a conflict unless her life was in danger. And this boy was already starting to get on her nerves. “Plenty of people kill animals for survival. It's not that unusual. And if you think it's right for predators to kill to survive, how come the same can't be applied for humans?”

“It's part of their nature to hunt and kill.” The boy explained. “That is their nature. It is not the nature of a human to kill a helpless animal!”

“And who taught you that?” Darcy inquired. Her mind went back to what Elijah had told her earlier. “Your dragon friends?”

The boy looked insulted. “They aren't dragons! They're dinosaurs!”

“Same difference.” Darcy said with a rude tone, shrugging her shoulders.

“There's a world of difference!” The boy shouted defensively.

“Whatever.” Darcy rolled her eyes. “Were they the ones who taught you killing animals for food was wrong?”

“My parents taught me that.” The boy responded, eyes narrowing further.

“My parents taught me as well...” Darcy said, lifting her head up slightly as if she was proud of herself. She smirked and continued before the boy could open his mouth. “My father taught me how to hunt and my mother taught me how to cook the quarry.”

The boy's hand started to shake slightly. “Then your father was nothing but a cruel monster!”

Darcy's eyes widened at this. Her first reaction was speechlessness. She stared at the boy as if she expected him to say it was a mistake. But he just glared at her and made no attempt to apologize. It was like he was so worked up over this that he didn't care what he said.

Then she felt herself growing angrier by the second. Insulting her father...what gave this boy the right? She felt herself become so angry that she dropped her quarry to the ground and approached the boy.

“What did you just say?” Darcy asked, her teeth clenched tightly.

The boy took a step back as if he was starting to feel a sense of doubt. Nonetheless, he answered Darcy's question. “I said your father was a monster...” His voice was slightly softer than it was earlier, but still tinged with anger. “Because only monsters unnecessarily kill when they should be going to a market to get fruits and vegetables..”

Darcy clenched a fist and glared up at the boy, who stood a few inches taller than her, without hesitation. Without thinking, she pulled her arm back and struck forward, punching the boy right in the face.

The young man staggered back and quickly covered his face with one hand. After a few moments, he removed his hand and saw blood staining his fingertips. He looked over at Darcy with a shocked expression on his face.

Darcy breathed heavily, glaring at him. “That..is that you get when you insult my family.” Wanting nothing more to do with the boy, Darcy turned around and walked back to her quarry. She decided it was best to leave now before any of the boy's friends arrived onto the scene.

Suddenly, Darcy felt something push against her roughly, pushing her into the ground. She pushed herself up by her arms and looked behind her. The boy stood over her, glaring at her. Darcy didn't have to ask to know that he was the one who had pushed her. She returned the frown as she got back onto her feet.

“And that's what you get...” The boy said. “..when you mess with me.”

Darcy humphed. “Is that the best comeback you can come up with?” She shook her head as the boy grew angrier. “You and your people really are pathetic...”

“I'll show you pathetic...”

With that, the boy charged towards Darcy and shoved her again. This time, Darcy managed to remain on her feet. She immediately moved to one side when the boy struck out towards her with a fist. In an attempt to defend herself, she tried to punch back, but missed. The boy tried again, this time landing a punch on Darcy's arm and causing her to stagger back.

Darcy held her arm tightly only briefly before she made her next move. She lifted a leg and kicked at the boy's shin. The boy moved backwards, a slight expression of pain on his face. Darcy then grabbed the boy by his arms and tried to shove him back. The boy reacted by grabbing her arms and pushing back. The two glared at each other as they both tried to wrestle the other into the ground.

Although Darcy did her best, she was no match for the boy's strength. She started to involuntarily relax her arms, giving the boy the edge in the fight. She felt herself being pushed backwards. Her back hit against the bark of a tree and she was quickly pinned there. Clenching her teeth, she glared at the boy and tried to push him away.

“Let me go...!” She demanded.

“No!” The boy shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. “Not until you take back what you said!”

But Darcy was too stubborn to listen. “Never!”

“Then I'll make you take it back...” Shaking in anger, the boy opened his eyes and pulled his hand back, preparing to punch Darcy in the face.

Just then, a voice called out to him.

“Richard!”


	5. The Locals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

The boy, Richard, looked over to see a young woman rushing towards him. She wasn't alone either. Following close behind her were three other people, all three being men. All of them looked absolutely horrified by what was happening.

The woman called out to him again. “Richard, what do you think you are doing?! Let go of her!”

Richard tried to defend himself. “But..she started it!”

“I don't care who started it!” The woman responded. “You let her go this instant!”

Before Richard had time to respond, one of the men that had come out with the woman had seized Richard and forced him to let go of Darcy, pulling him away. Richard tried to struggle, but the man squeezed him tightly, though gently, and dragged him away from Darcy.

“Settle down, young man.” The man said. “Just relax. Whatever she did, it's not worth getting into a fight over.”

Richard slowly calmed down. Once he settled down, the man released him. Richard brushed himself off, glared at Darcy, and took a step back.

The second man walked up to Darcy while the third one hung back with the woman. Darcy pushed herself against the tree as he approached, expecting another fight. But she was taken by surprise by what happened next.

The man just smiled at her and said, “Breathe deep, seek peace.” As he said that, he lifted up his hand and made a gesture that looked like the fin of some kind of animal.

Darcy wasn't sure what to make of this. It wasn't just the strange hand gesture that was confusing her. It was the phrase spoken by this man that was also confusing to her. She didn't know how to respond to that. She had never heard this kind of phrase before. What did this man want from her?

Finally she spoke. “What...?”

The man repeated, “Breath deep. Seek peace.”

Darcy felt her body start to shake slightly. The notion of peace puzzled her. For most of her life, she knew anything but peace. She didn't know how to react to this saying. She didn't know what the man wanted from her. Did he want her to return the gesture? Did he want her to say something?

The man seemed to notice her uneasiness and lowered his head. “Relax. It's just a greeting.”

The man that had pulled Richard away from the girl approached. “Judging from your confusion, you must be a dolphinback.”

“Dolphinback?” Darcy asked in a slightly uneasy expression.

“It's our term for new arrivals.” The man responded, smiling. “I sense that you are feeling uneasy. You don't have to be afraid. No one here is going to hurt you.”

“What?” Darcy scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Afraid? Who said I was afraid?” Darcy forced a chuckle. “I'm not scared.”

“Then why were you shaking?”

Darcy struggled to find something to say. “I..I was just a little cold.”

“Cold?” The man closest to her responded. “But it's not that cold...”

“The breeze...” Darcy quickly lied. “It gave me a slight chill..that's all.”

The two men looked at each other, looking slightly perplexed. But instead of questioning Darcy further, they gestured for her to follow them.

“Why don't you come on inside?” One of the men asked her, smiling at her. “You must be hungry.”

Darcy glanced over at where the gull was laying on the ground. “Well..I kind of already got something....”

After being silent for several minutes, Richard finally spoke, his voice softer now. “We don't eat meat on this island.”

No longer as fired up from the fight, Darcy asked, “Why?”

The woman who had arrived onto the scene earlier said, “It's against our customs.”

Darcy sighed. There was no use in getting into an argument over that again. To convince them that meat-eating is fine would be the same as them trying to convince her to give up eating meat. “So what am I allowed to eat then?”

“We have some fresh fruit and nuts inside.” The woman responded. “You're welcome to have some.”

Darcy thought this offer over. She was feeling very hungry and she started to think that the gull might be harder to cook than she thought. She briefly considered the offer the woman had given her. It was tempting, but Elijah's words came flooding back to her. She took a step back and shook her head. “No thanks. I have to get going.”

The woman frowned slightly. “Are you sure?”

“If you're hungry, you're more than welcome to eat with us.” One of the men said. “It'll be no problem at all.”

“No...I'm not hungry anymore.” Darcy lied.

“Oh...” The man said. “Well are you sure you don't want to at least stay here for a while?”

Darcy began to walk away. “Yeah..I have to meet with someone anyway.” This was partially true. She wanted to find Elijah again. She started to feel continually nervous around these people. Their customs and ways, what she learned so far, were so strange to her that it started to frighten her.”So I'll..probably see you later then...”

“Okay then...” The woman said. “Breath deep, seek peace.”

Darcy paused at that statement momentarily. Then she continued on her way.

After she disappeared, Richard seemed to have calmed down and had been released. But his expression hardly changed as he watched the girl leave. Who did she think she was anyway?

It seems that today wasn't going to be a good day for him. First, he had found out from the Ambassador Bix that Elijah had attacked some dinosaurs down on the beach. That man was no stranger among Dinotopians. His attitude and beliefs gave him few friends on the island. Yet until now, Elijah hadn't done anything to cause alarm. And Richard had let his anger get the best of him and he had confronted Elijah about what he did, only to have the man manage to drive him away. Although he knew he did the right thing, the man's words still stung him and left him feeling bitter.

And then along came this girl, who had, without hesitation, murdered a bird before his very eyes. And then she tried to justify her actions by saying it was for survival. It sickened him to think that she would consider taking the life of an innocent animal just so that she could stuff her face. He tried to reason with her, but she had made the first move. He lost control of his temper and attacked her. Yet he couldn't help but feel guilty about it. He tried to convince himself that she was asking for it. But why didn't he just walk away? What he had done was just as bad as her killing the bird. But he was still feeling too bitter to even try to convince himself to apologize.

Just then, the woman, his mother, turned to him, looking very disappointed in his actions. “Young man, you have some explaining to do.”

“I told you she started it!” Richard snapped. “She was asking for it!”

“Whether or not she started it,” she responded, “That is no excuse for what you did! You should have just walked away from it.”

“I know..I just couldn't help it. I felt so angry that I just had to do something about it.”

“By hurting her?” Said the man closest to him, who was his father. “Son, that was a very irresponsible thing to do. I would have expected better from you.”

Richard's expression slowly softened up. “I'm sorry, dad.”

The man just shook his head. “I am not the one you should be apologizing to.” He then felt a hand on his back and glanced over.

“Relax, Allen. I'm sure things will get patched up between them. Besides, we have another matter at hand.” The man who had grabbed his shoulder said.

Allen nodded his head. “Yeah, you're right, Lionel.”

The third man approached. “Should we inform the citizens of Sauropolis of what has happened?”

“No...” Allen responded after a moment of silence, shaking his head. “No one was hurt.”

“True, true.” Said a croaking voice. Allen turned his head to see a hog-sized animal walking towards him. The animal possessed a sharp beak and a bony frill around its head. “The man probably hasn't yet adjusted to our customs. Give him a little more time.”

“Understood, Bix.” Allen replied. “Some people do take a while to warm up to Dinotopia's ways.”

Bix nodded her head. “And it's against our code to force our beliefs on them.”

“Lee Crabb's been here for quite some time, though he's still dislikes our way of life.” Lionel said. “Then again, even Lee Crabb doesn't cause that much harm to the island, so Elijah can't be much worse.”

“Elijah is not like Lee Crabb.” Richard interrupted. He had been listening to the conversation between his father, his two uncles, and Bix and decided to speak up. “Elijah is a threat.”

“We don't know that for sure.” His mother said. “Perhaps he can be reasoned with.”

Richard glared at his mother. He understood her reasoning behind what she said, but she was wrong. He remembered the way Elijah had acted around him, the way he mocked him for being a Dinotopian. Elijah was not a reasonable guy. There was no way that anyone could convince this guy to change his ways.

And the guy was too aggressive as well. Unlike Lee, who was not interested in hurting anyone, Elijah had shown he was willing to go to greater lengths at showing his disapproval of Dinotopia by attacking and almost harming a couple innocent dinosaurs. Richard knew that, if the man had been given the opportunity, he would have killed them.

“After what he did?” Richard asked. “Mom, I don't think a man with a temper like that can be reasoned with.”

“The least we can do is try.” His mom said.

“Maybe...” Richard said. But despite what his mom said, he still held doubt for Elijah. Something told him that there was no way they could reach a compromise with that man.

“I agree with you, Tasha.” Allen said, gesturing towards the woman. “Perhaps Elijah is not as bad as we think.”

Richard narrowed his eyes and said under his breath, “You'd like to think that, wouldn't you...?”


	6. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Darcy grumbled to herself as she struggled to make her way through the forest. She still hadn't eaten. She left the bird she had just killed back where she had encountered that boy. Her stomach growled softly and she felt annoyed that the boy had made her loose her meal.

There was nothing she could do about it now, though. Maybe if she could find that man she met earlier, maybe he could tell her where she could get something to eat. Despite what the Dinotopian had told her, surely at least some people on this island eat meat.

She secretly hoped she wouldn't run into another Dinotopian like that. Their friendliness was so foreign to her. It only frightened and confused her. She didn't even know them and they were willing to let her go inside their home to get something to eat. Were they not concerned about her potentially stealing something? This was not something that would have happened back at her home.

And what was the deal with that boy, anyway? That one Dinotopian didn't react as harshly as he did when she found out about her meat-eating habits. The boy had attacked her. She had tried to get away, but he wouldn't let her go until she apologized. But why? She had nothing to apologize for. He was the one who should have been saying sorry.

But then again, she had to admit to herself that she did not exactly help things along. She did throw the first punch anyway. She felt a slight pang of guilt and wondered if she should also apologize for what she did. Even if that boy, Richard, was a complete jerk to her, she should at least show she's the bigger person by admitting guilt.

She suddenly thought of Elijah again. Where did he say he was going to be? She vaguely remembered the name of a tavern. Didn't he say it was near a river? Darcy glanced over. She was standing near a river. Was this the river that Elijah was talking about? She growled in frustration. There was probably tons of rivers on this island.

She immediately regretted not going with the man when she had the chance. And, though she had a hard time admitting it, she secretly wished she hadn't left the Dinotopian family. Now she was stuck in the middle of nowhere. She had no idea where anything was. And those Dinotopians might not be back there if she returned.

Darcy started to walk faster, trying to find anything that seemed familiar to her. A house, a road, a vehicle, anything. Even the sight of smog would have been a welcoming sight.

Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jolted and quickly turned around, her heart beating faster. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Elijah standing right there. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him, panting from being startled. She quickly settled herself down and put her hand on her forehead. “Can you please not do that?” She quickly added, “Not that I was frightened, or anything...”

Elijah chuckled lightly, as if he was playing along with her.“Yeah, of course not.” He seemed happy to see her. “I've been looking for you.”

Darcy looked at him, perplexed. “You have?” She was tempted to tell him she was looking for him too, but she found it difficult to get herself to admit it. Her perplexed look was quickly wiped away and she just smiled at him. “Whatever for?”

“Just wanted to make sure you were all right.” Elijah said.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Well you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” She folder her arms. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

Eljiah nodded his head. “Yes, I never doubted that.”

Darcy didn't believe him. “Then why did you come looking for me? You can't lie to me. I know you must think I'm just a little kid.”

Elijah shook his head. “No, no, not at all.”

“Then why come looking for me if you didn't think I wouldn't be able to make it on my own?” Despite feeling a bit relieved to have found Elijah so fast, Darcy wouldn't help but feel a bit upset at the thought of being treated like a little child.

Elijah rubbed the back of his head and let out a soft sigh. “Just to find you, that's all. I don't need a reason.” He finally said after a few moments of silence.

Darcy narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth to respond, but she decided against it. There wasn't going to be anything gained if she continued to question Elijah. He did save her life, so she owed to him to at least be friendly with him. “Well, I'm glad to have run into you again anyway. I still haven't managed to eat anything...”

“You haven't?” Elijah asked. “Why not? I thought you were going to hunt something.”

Darcy sighed, recalling what had happened. “Yeah, I did. I managed to catch something, but if it weren't for that Richard kid, I would have...”

Elijah immediately cut her off. “Richard?”

“Yeah, a Dinotopian.” Darcy explained. “I was about to leave with my quarry when he showed up and started to antagonize me. And the only reason was because I like to eat meat.” She rolled her eyes. “He was talking nonsense.”

Elijah slowly nodded his head. “I wouldn't expect anything different from a Dinotopian.”

Darcy's expression softened up, her eyes slightly downcast. “Though, I have to admit...perhaps I should apologize to him. I did strike him first, and it was uncalled for.”

“No, you don't need to apologize.” Elijah said, smiling at her. “Whatever you did, that boy probably deserved it. Besides, if you apologize, you might become more susceptible to being brainwashed by those no-good scaly boot lickers.”

Darcy flinched very slightly at how Elijah had spoken the last few words. Part of her wanted to defend the family she had met. Except for Richard, they hadn't done anything to harm her. But on the other hand, Elijah was the most normal person she had met and was the first human being she met when she got stuck on this forsaken island. And he had been here a lot longer than she had. Perhaps she should take his advice first before listening to any of the other people on Dinotopia.

Darcy decided to change the subject quickly. “So where you going to earlier?”

“Black Fish Tavern. Why?”

“Do you think I could..go with you?” Darcy asked.

Elijah's expression was at first that of surprise, then slowly changed into relief, as if he was hoping that she was going to ask him that question. “Why, certainly, my dear.”

Darcy looked confused. Did he just say what she thought he did? “..what did you say?”

Elijah quickly corrected himself. “I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.” He started to walk away and gestured Darcy to follow him. “Come along. We should be able to reach Black Fish Tavern before the sun sets.”

Darcy hesitated for a few seconds, wondering if this is what she wanted to do. She glanced back in the direction of the people she had just met. They were friendly towards her. Perhaps she should have stayed there...

Then Elijah's words came to her mind, and she immediately tore her mind away from any thought of going back. She couldn't let the Dinotopians brainwash her into serving these scaly abominations. She quickly raced towards Elijah and walked by his side, feeling a sense of security with him around.


	7. Down The River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Hours quickly went by and the forest grew darker. By now, there was still a little light in the sky, slightly illuminating the forest with a pale orange and red color. But now darkness had descended upon the land, covering the trees in darkness, casting dark shadows on the ground. The stars had started to appear, decorating the sky, looking like tiny, white dots.

Darcy's legs were starting to feel sore and her mouth was a bit dry. She smacked her lips together a few times and wondered when she would be able to get something to drink. She still hadn't eaten, but her nervousness about being in the wild in the dark made her forget about her hunger. She had moved even closer to Elijah, looking left and right to make sure a dragon wasn't following them.

She glanced up at Elijah. “I thought you said we would be there before dark.”

“Sorry about that. Took longer than I thought it would.” Elijah took a quick glance at his surroundings. Then his eyes widened briefly, as if he just heard something familiar to him. “We're almost there. We just need to cross the Jubila River.”

Ahead, Darcy could see, just faintly, a slight dip in the land. It was likely deeper than it appeared from her current position. And it was hard to make it out completely due to the darkness. But she was able to hear the sound of water running, faintly. Upon hearing the river, she sighed softly, relieved that the walking would soon be over.

“It's funny...” Elijah said suddenly, breaking the silence. “In civilization, it is usually unwise to take back routes like this. It is safer on the main roads. But here...on this forsaken island...” His voice grew heavy with displeasure. “...it is safer here than it is on those roads, where we would be more likely to run into one of those terrible lizards.”

Darcy flinched slightly at what Elijah had just told her. It certainly didn't make her feel any better about being way out here, with no signs of civilization in sight. And yet she knew he was correct. She certainly wouldn't have wanted to risk running into more of those monsters.

Darcy looked out in front of her after a few minutes and saw they had reached the edge of the river. Feeling a bit relieved, she went over and leaned against a tree that was growing at the edge of the river. As she rested, she glanced down and saw the water. The river wasn't moving particularly fast, but it was wide and too deep to cross on foot. She wondered how she and Elijah were going to cross the river.

She turned her head to one side and saw something attached to the side, just barely touching the river. It looked to be a small boat made out of a plant she hadn't seen before herself. It looked like it was woven by hand, made by perhaps one or two people. The boat was attached to the side by strong ropes and a pulley system. She guessed that someone had placed it there to make it easier to cross this part of the river. Perhaps Elijah did it.

Elijah quickly moved to the boat without saying a word. He climbed into the boat and it wobbled slightly to and fro. He glanced over at Darcy and gestured for her to follow. “Come on.”

Darcy quickly made her way towards the boat, but was hesitant to get in at first. “Are you sure this is safe?”

The man nodded his head. “I've used this several times myself. It's safe. I should know. I built this boat and this pulley.”

Knowing this did make Darcy feel a little more reassured, but she still didn't feel particularly safe about getting into a boat made from something other than wood and steel. Her better judgment told her not to go in, but despite that, she got herself to sit down next to Elijah.

As soon as Darcy was in the boat, Elijah started to pull on the rope, lowering them to the water. Since they were close to begin with, it didn't take long for them to rest on the water, moving slightly up and down as the water moved underneath them. Elijah then quickly untied the boat, freeing the boat. Then, positioning himself near the front of the boat, he grabbed onto a large, handmade oar and dipped it into the water. Then he started to row the boat, moving it slowly across the water.

Darcy didn't feel completely secure in the boat. It reminded her of what happened on the ship. The moving waters along the side of the boat she was in were looking eerily like the waves she saw during the storm, just before she went unconscious, before she ended up on this strange island.

“So..where are you from?” Elijah asked all of a sudden, catching Darcy off guard.

“What?” She asked.

“Where are you from?” Elijah repeated.

Darcy narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling slightly confused. “Why do you want to know?”

Elijah shrugged his shoulders. “Just trying to make conversation is all. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to. I'm sorry if I upset you, miss.”

Darcy shook her head. “No, no. It's quite all right. It's just that...” Darcy closed her eyes and thought about what had happened back on that boat. She started to feel very uncomfortable as bad memories started to come back to her. She opened up her mouth to answer Elijah's question, but then quickly shut it. She didn't feel comfortable answering the question at the moment. “I'm sorry..I don't want to talk about it...”

Elijah's brows furrowed in concern. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...”

“It's all right.” She quickly interrupted him. “You didn't know.”

For the next couple minutes, it was completely silent except for the sound of water splashing against the boat. Darcy leaned against the side of the boat, glancing at the water, which was barely lit by the moon hanging overhead. The silence was unnerving, but she couldn't think of anything to say to break the silence.

Darcy felt bad about not answering Elijah's question earlier. She did want to answer him, but the bad memories held her back. The man didn't seem too upset with her reaction. He seemed understanding of her situation and he hadn't tried to coax her any further to answer the question, nor had he tried to ask her any more questions. Yet, despite that, she still felt a little bad. Perhaps later, when she felt better, she could answer the question.

She had some questions for Elijah herself. She was curious to know how he came to this island and how he managed to survive this long without going nuts like everyone else apparently had. She was impressed with how he managed to retain his own ways without those dinosaurs brainwashing him. Considering that, according to Elijah, almost everyone else developed a partnership with the dinosaurs, it must have been an amazing feat to avoid such a life-altering change. Those dragons must be tougher than she had originally thought.

She was suddenly interrupted from her thoughts when the boat hit against something. She looked over and saw that they had reached the other side of the Jubila River. She saw Elijah grabbing onto a rope and tying it securely to the boat. Then he started to pull against it, this time lifting the boat into the air. The land on the other side of the river was slightly higher than the land she and Elijah had just come from, so it took a little longer for Elijah to pull the boat high enough for them to step off.

Tying the rope securely to the pulley to keep the boat elevated above the water, Elijah turned his head towards Darcy. “Come on. It's this way.”

“How much further is it?” Darcy inquired as she stepped out of the boat, feeling relieved to feel solid ground beneath her feet once again.

“We're about halfway there.” Elijah responded.

Darcy's eyes widened slightly. “But just a moment ago, you said we were almost there.”

“I did?” Elijah asked, turning his head. He looked slightly embarrassed. “So sorry about that. No, we aren't almost there. We must take a longer path away from the nearby town Spiker to avoid running into anymore Dinotopians. Black Fish Tavern is northwest from here, about a couple miles away.”

Darcy sat down on the grass and started to massage her sore legs. “Well, can we take a break at least? We've been walking for hours.”

Elijah shook his head. “The longer we stay here, the greater the chance we have running into a Dinotopian or one of those dragons.” He took a few steps towards Darcy and pulled her back onto her feet. “I know you're tired, but we have to keep moving. We can rest once we get to Black Fish Tavern.”

Darcy moaned, but didn't complain. “Oh all right...”

Darcy fought with herself to keep her eyes open. Hours had passed as she and Elijah trekked along the wilderness of the island. It was still dark out, but it wouldn't be too long before she would start to see the first signs of light. She yawned, longing to lay down and get some sleep. But Elijah urged her on, who didn't want to stop until they reached Black Fish Tavern.

She trusted that he knew where he was going, but she couldn't help but feel that they were lost. Almost every bit of this forest, no matter how far they walked, looked eerily similar. And without a main path to walk on, it was difficult to know if they were even going in the right direction or not.

Still, she pressed on, not wanting to slow down Elijah. She had been walking at a slightly slower pace than him and she was worried that she would end up slowing him down and increase the amount of time it would take to reach this place. And she was walking even slower now because of how tired and drowsy she was. Yet, despite that, she continued to press on.

At last, Darcy took notice of a structure just up ahead. She paused for a moment, squinting her eyes to see if she could see a name. If there was a name on the building, she could not see it from here. She glanced over at the man. “Is this it?”

Elijah stood next to her, a smile on his face. “Yes. This is Black Fish Tavern.”


	8. Black Fish Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Black Fish Tavern wasn't exactly what Darcy had imagined it to be. But then again, being on an island with strange creatures called dinosaurs living with humans, she wasn't sure how she would have expected Black Fish Tavern to look. As she and Elijah got closer to the building, she was able to make out a bit more of its details.

The building looked like a blend of several cultures. Two strange creatures seemed to jet out from the roof and something that looked like an armored fish stemmed out of the middle of the roof. The roof itself was coated in colorful tiles that gave the building a scaly kind of appearance. Much of the building looked normal, at least by her standards, especially the awnings that jetted out from its side. But some features, such as what looked like a large crystal surrounded by four gold bars that grew out of the roof near the back end, quickly reminded her that this was no ordinary building.

The structure itself rested on a body of water, supported by wooden planks that formed a dock. Strung up beside the dock were several machines that she hadn't seen before, but judging from what she's seeing, she guessed that they could be used to go underwater. There were also several boats as well, similar in appearance to the one she and Elijah had used previously.

The place also had a certain scent to it. Something like coal hung in the air, and something else that smelled like garbage. As soon as she caught whiff of the terrible smell, she wanted to turn her head away. She started to wonder how the Dinotopians could stand this smell.

There were a few dinosaurs that were also on the dock. But they seemed to be leaving and paid no special attention to Elijah and Darcy as they walked by. But the presence of the dinosaurs startled Darcy and she glanced over at Elijah, her eyes slightly narrowed. “I thought you said there wouldn't be any of those....creatures here.” She said in a hushed voice.

Elijah smiled slightly. “I never said that.”

“But...” Darcy started to say.

But Elijah simply walked forward, heading towards the tavern. Darcy looked irritated that the man hadn't let her finish, but she shrugged it off and walked up quickly to catch up with him.

Elijah entered the building through one of the open doors. Darcy hung back, hesitating momentarily. The smell she had noticed earlier much stronger now. She held her nose and flinched in disgust. But despite the smell, she walked into the building to catch up with Elijah. Darcy looked around the building nervously.

The building seemed to have a pirate-like appearance to it, especially the furniture, tables, and chairs that decorated the place. Some were large, possibly for the dinosaurs, but many more were human-sized. That, combined with the fact that she was seeing a lot more people than dinosaurs, suggested that this place was very human dominated. With that fact out in the open, she started to relax a little, feeling a bit more secure about being here.

There were also some fishing nets hanging from the ceiling as well as what appeared to be a map plastered against the wall with seemingly no other purpose other than decoration. There was also about three bottles with little miniature ships inside them. The glass on these bottles were cracked, but still retained the shape.

But the place still made her feel nervous. Some of the dinosaurs were looking at her, as if they were curious about her, but none of them approached her. There were also some scraggly looking men that were looking at her with some interest, some of them with a sort of smile on their faces. She frowned at them and moved herself closer to Elijah to avoid these people. She couldn't help but get a strong bad vibe from them.

But some of the other people of the joint didn't look too bad. They were mostly preoccupied with talking to each other, singing sailor songs, and sharing what appeared to be an alcoholic drink, or playing some type of card game, but she couldn't make out exactly what kind.

She and Elijah took a seat next to the large map. The chairs were wooden and slightly wobbly, but it would have to do. The table was dirty, but that didn't matter because there was a clean, though torn, cloth laid over it. As Elijah glanced over at a group of men who were sitting further away on a slightly larger table, Darcy glanced up at the large map, which seemed to be a depiction of Europe. A wave of sadness got to her, making her feel homesick. She placed her hand on the map over where Ireland, her homeland, was, wishing she could find someway to get back there.

She was interrupted by Elijah, who had gently nudged her with one hand. He said, “Stay here. I'll only be gone a moment.”

Darcy frowned. “Where are you going?”

Elijah gestured towards the men he was looking at a moment ago. “To talk to them. Perhaps they could offer some assistance.”

Darcy shifted slightly in her seat. “I don't really feel comfortable being left alone in a place like this.” She glanced over at one of the men who had been looking at her when they walked in the place.

“Oh don't worry about them. I know most of these people seem...unwelcoming...but most of them won't do anything to do.”

“And what of the ones who would? What about them?”

“I don't think anyone here would try to hurt you.” Elijah got up from his seat. “Anyway, I won't be gone very long anyway. If I see anyone causing you trouble, I'll stop them. I promise.” With that, he walked off, leaving Darcy alone.

Darcy trusted Elijah's words and remained at the table, avoiding making eye contact with anyone. She had imagined Black Fish Tavern to at least make her feel more secure, and while she did feel slightly safer here than out in the forest, it still didn't make her feel much better.

After about a minute, Darcy found herself approached by one of the patrons of the place. The man wore ragged clothing that looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. She moved herself closer to the wall on instinct, wanting to get as far away from the man as possible.

The man had a smile on his face. “Why hello there, lassie.” He spoke with a certain tone to it that made Darcy feel uncomfortable. “What's a pretty lady like you doing in these blasted parts?”

Darcy hesitated momentarily before replying. “I-I'm just visiting.” She quickly turned her head away in an attempt to discourage the man from talking with her further.

But it didn't work. Instead, the man moved in a bit closer, putting one of his hands on his hips and using his other arm to rest against the wall. “Just visiting eh? Well I know of a place where I could take you and give you a real good time.” He chuckled as he stroked his hair back, and then leaned onto the table, very close to Darcy. “How about it, sweet cheeks?”

Darcy leaned back in her chair, a slight snarl on her face. “Get away from me, you creeten!”

But the man was persistent. Chuckling, he reached out to touch Darcy's face, who quickly swatted it away. “Spicy little thing, aren't you?” He said in a slightly mocking voice. Undeterred, he reached out again, this time managing to cup the young woman's chin. “That's what I like in a woman.” He said in a slightly seductive voice.

Darcy pulled her head back and growled, “I said leave me alone!” With that, she brought her fist back and punched the man square on the mouth.

“Yeow!” The man staggered backwards, nearly falling onto the ground as he held his mouth tightly. When he pulled his hands away, he saw a bit of blood on them and he could taste blood in his mouth. He glanced at Darcy, looking shocked at first, but then slowly narrowed his eyes in anger. “How dare you...”

Darcy narrowed her eyes back at him. “Hey, it was your own fault! I didn't do anything to you until you started to advance on me!”

“An ignorant woman like you should learn her place!” The man spat.

Darcy growled and quickly got up from her seat. “What place? A damsel in distress who constantly needs saving?” She advanced on the man. “Well guess what? That isn't my style! So back off, you scoundrel!”

Although he was clearly infuriated by the way Darcy was talking to him, the man took a few steps away from her, as if he was unsure what to do. After a moment of silence, he lifted up an arm in a threatening manner. “You'll be sorry you ever...”

“Hey!” A voice rang out, a voice that Darcy immediately recognized as Elijah.

Elijah was walking back to the table, looking annoyed by what the man had been doing. He immediately positioned himself between Darcy and where the man was now standing.

“What do you want?” The man asked rudely. “Can't you see that I'm busy?”

“Yes I can see that.” Elijah answered. His eyes narrowed. “Why don't you leave that young lady alone? Why are you bothering her anyway?”

“She punched me!” The man shouted.

“Then she has more common sense than you do.” Elijah replied. “And if you dare strike a woman, that will just further prove my point.”

The man snarled in anger. “That may be in a situation where the woman is the victim, but in this case, I am the victim. The little witch struck me!”

“And she had every right to, you heathen.” Elijah said, advancing on the man.

The man looked like he wanted to punch Elijah, but he immediately backed down. “I have better things to do than waste my time with people like you.” With that, he turned and walked away.


	9. Motives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

As the man walked off, Darcy noticed that a few people were looking at her somewhat strangely, almost shocked by what she had done. A couple of them seemed a bit angry but quickly turned their heads away, and still others looked at her with an almost sort of admiration-type expression.

“Why are they looking at me?” She asked.

“Do you have any idea who you just struck?” Elijah asked, sitting back down in his chair. Darcy looked at him and quickly shook her head. “I don't know his name, but I've seen him multiple times. He has a tendency to harass attractive women like yourself. You're the first woman to literally strike out against him without getting hurt in the process.” Elijah smirked. “In a way, I think that's earned you some respect around here. I don't think anyone will try to mess with you after that display.”

Darcy nodded her head. Knowing that did make her feel a bit better. Still, she wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. Surely, there was a more secure place somewhere else on this island. Perhaps she could convince Elijah to take her to his house. That is, if he didn't mind it. She didn't want to intrude on him or anything. But, so far, Elijah was the only person on this island that she felt she could trust completely.

“So what were you doing over there?” Darcy finally asked after a few moments of silence.

Elijah leaned back in his seat and said, “I was trying to see if anyone had any...suggestions.”

“For what?”

Elijah spoke in a darkened voice. “Why, to deal with the dragon menace on this island of course. Many people here don't hold a very high opinion of those creatures as I do, and yet...” He stopped for a moment and then continued, “And yet not one of them has the courage to take them on.” Elijah sounded disgusted as he said this. “Not one of them will stand up against them. They say it's impractical, that we're outnumbered, that it's a lost cause...”

Darcy nodded her head slowly. “It almost sounds like it is. I mean, how could we possibly take on these monsters that are much bigger than we are?”

“But it's not impossible!” Elijah said. “If they would just stop being so yellow-bellied, they could find a way to cleanse this island.”

Darcy started to feel nervous about the topic at hand. The last thing she wanted to talk about were the monsters that inhabited this island alongside the humans that they enslaved. “Can we please talk about something else now?”

Softening up his voice, Elijah said, “Terribly sorry. I didn't mean to go off like that.

“It's quite all right...” Darcy said softly.

Elijah glanced up at the map, just as Darcy had minutes ago. “I saw you put your hand here.” He put his hand on the island Darcy had placed her hands on before. “Ireland.” He turned his head towards her. “Is that where you are from?”

Darcy glanced at the map. “...Yes. That's where I came from.”

Elijah nodded his head slowly. “I'm from Ireland as well.”

Darcy turned her head towards Elijah, her eyes slightly widened. “You are?”

Elijah nodded his head. “Yes. I've been trying to find a way to return there, but this island is surrounded by a coral that will sink any ship that dare try to cross it. And the waters are not exactly favorable either. That blasted coral transforms this entire island into a giant cage. No doubt the sea serpents built it to deliberately shipwreck innocent people.” Elijah glanced down towards the table. “I..had a family back in Ireland. And I've been stuck here for a few years.”

Darcy looked at the man sympathetically. “I'm sorry to hear that.” She started thinking about her father. But it brought back mainly bad memories, especially one that had drove her to leave Ireland in the first place. Now she regrets her actions. “I wish I could go back, but...”

“Don't you have family there?” Elijah asked.

“Only a father. I lost my mother when I was a baby, so I never knew her. And I don't have any siblings.” Darcy answered. “As much as I'd love to be with my father again...” She paused and lowered her head.

“What's wrong?” Elijah asked with a concerned tone of voice.

“...he's dead.” Darcy responded.

Elijah's eyes widened. “I'm so sorry.... What happened to him?” Darcy sighed and looked away. As if he sensed that he had touched a very sensitive topic, Elijah backed down immediately. “I didn't mean to provoke you.”

“It's all right.” Wanting to change the subject, Darcy asked, “So...you've been here for a few years?” Elijah nodded his head. “How did you avoid being...brainwashed like almost everyone else on Dinotopia?”

Elijah smiled. “So long as I have my faith and beliefs, no scaly beast will ever be able to turn me into their personal human slave.”

Darcy leaned in, resting her head on her elevated hands. Her eyes grew slightly wider with obvious interest. It wasn't the fact that this man was religious that surprised her. What surprised her was that the man's faith was enough to protect him. She wondered if he was speaking the truth, or if there was something else he was doing that was preventing him from converting to the Dinotopia's ways

Inside, she couldn't help but feel envious towards Elijah's resilience. She longed to have his strength to aide her on this wretched place. She was not a pushover, but it frightened her, still, to be on a place where only one person that she met acted normal. Nearly everyone else was in league with the dragons.

“And if any of those monsters dare get close to me..” Elijah pulled out a dagger. Darcy didn't recognize it, but the blade of this dagger looked similar to the sword Elijah had earlier. “Those soulless lizards won't ever see the light of day again.”

Darcy winced slightly at that statement. There was a change in Elijah's voice that nearly made her shudder. It was a bit chilly, a bit menacing. She knew it wasn't directed towards her, but she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated. And yet at the same time, it sort of made her feel more secure. That gave her evidence to believe that he would be willing to do what it takes to protect himself, and anyone he cared about, against the threat this island's inhabitants posed against innocent human beings.

Seemingly sensing that he had made her feel uncomfortable, Elijah sighed, “Look, I'm sorry if I upset you. But I just can't get over this.. I want to do something to liberate this island.” He looked at his weapon and gently stroked it with one finger. “Every day, I look at this place and wonder, if I had the courage, could I do it..?”

Darcy frowned slightly. “Do what?”

“Kill one...” Elijah responded as he picked up his knife and placed it back into his holder. He looked around as if to make sure none of the dinosaurs were listening in on him. He glanced back at Darcy. “I've come close, several times, to getting the chance to kill one of those monsters. But the chance quickly slipped from my hands.”

“Why?” Darcy asked.

“Because I hesitated. Something was holding me back.” Elijah said, his voice worn with shame.

Darcy looked confused. She never would have guessed that he would have actually hesitated. From the way that he waved that sword at those one-clawed mutants, she would have expected him to have been able to slay some of these creatures. What could have possibly have held him back?

“Why didn't you do it?”

Elijah took in a deep breath and said, “Because I didn't know...”

“Didn't know what?”

“I didn't know if my sword would have been good enough. You've heard the stories, haven't you? Dragons are far more dangerous than the mere mortal creatures we would run into back at Ireland. They have some kind of evil magic to them.” Elijah's voice was becoming a bit darker, slightly more strained. “I could stick my sword into one of them, and they could send some kind of poison up my sword and infect me with their unholy energy, or they could have acid instead of blood and burn my face when I drive my sword into them.”

“Have you ever tried any other method?” Darcy asked. Her voice was low and hushed. She was worried that some of the patrons were looking at her and trying to listen in on her conversation with Elijah.

“I have considering poisoning, but I fear I would accidentally kill the people on this land.” Elijah said.

“But I thought...”

Elijah closed his eyes. “I never said I wanted to harm any of the Dinotopians. As much as they grate on my nerves, as much as I don't want them dragging me into their unholy ways, as far as I can tell, they are just victims. They will be freed from this horrible spell once the dragons are gone.”

“I see...” Darcy said softly, slowly recovering from her moment of doubt. It did seem to make sense to her. If the dragons were eliminated, then their evil magic can't touch anyone anymore, and they would be freed.

But would it work? What if it was too late?


	10. Lesser Of Two Evils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.

Sometime later, Darcy was sitting at the table alone again. Elijah had gone off to talk to someone else at Black Fish Tavern, promising that he wouldn't be gone long. Just like before, he was trying for suggestions in regards of what to do about the island's unusual reptiles. Darcy sighed, unsure if she should feel annoyed or impressed with Elijah's determination in this. Despite being turned away, his confidence hadn't been tattered.

Darcy didn't understand why no one was willing to help Elijah out. From what Elijah had told her, many people in this place didn't think highly of Dinotopia, which meant that there were more people like Elijah on the island. But so far, only Elijah seemed willing to do something about the dragon menace.

And it left her confused. Most of the people in this place weren't like most of the citizens of the island. They hadn't been brainwashed into becoming the dinosaurs' slaves. And yet, despite that, they refused to lift a finger to help Elijah's cause.

Darcy narrowed her eyes as she thought about that boy she had met earlier, a Dinotopian. His words still angered her, the way he had said that her father was a monster. She had to admit, those people who were with him seemed nice enough. But she couldn't fall for any of the Dinotopian's tricks. These people might seem friendly, but it was all an illusion.

What kind of people were these anyway? To turn their back on one of their own? And for what? These monsters they call dinosaurs? Darcy started to feel a mixture of disgust and fear. She couldn't help but wonder if she could be next to fall victim to this wretched island's so-called 'society'.

Darcy then heard a door opening up. She turned her head and saw a man standing in the door way. He didn't seem particularly friendly, a scowl on his face and a strange, ugly hat resting on his head. The man walked towards where the bartender was, wiping his face messily with one dirty hand. Darcy grimaced at the sight of him. She leaned towards Elijah.

“Who is that guy?” She asked, her tone suggesting her immediate disdain for the strange man.

Elijah glanced in the man's general direction. “Oh that's just Lee Crabb. Pay him no mind.”

Darcy looked at him. “Lee Crabb?”

“Yeah.” Elijah responded. “I've seen him several times here. He's nothing but a drunken troublemaker.”

The man, Lee Crabb, didn't seem to notice their conversation as he sat down on a stool and said, “I'll have the usual.” He slapped his hand on the table impatiently. The bartender, a younger man, looked slightly annoyed with Lee Crabb's attitude, but obliged and quickly left.

A moment later, the man returned a large bug filled with amber-colored fluid. “Here you go, Mr. Crabb.” He said as he pushed the mug towards the old man. Crabb grumbled softly as he reached out towards the mug.

“Well he's a little spot of sunshine, ain't he?” Darcy said a bit aloud, her voice sarcastic, expressing her low opinion of Lee Crabb based on this first impression.

Crabb paused before he grabbed his mug and turned around. His eyes narrowed, he said, “Who said that?”

Darcy kept quiet, not taking her eyes off the scraggly-looking man. Crabb didn't make an attempt to turn around. Instead, he just quietly sipped his drink, as if Darcy's remark hadn't bothered him. There was something about this man she didn't like. Something about him made her feel a bit uneasy. After Crabb didn't speak another word, Darcy relaxed and turned her head towards Elijah and opened her mouth to talk to him.

“I know you.”

The voice took Darcy by surprise and she quickly turned her head. Crabb had turned his body and head and was now looking directly at her and Elijah. His eyes were more focused on Elijah than herself. She glanced over at Elijah to see his reaction.

Elijah immediately leaned forward on the table, narrowing his eyes slowly as he returned Crabb's glare. “Long time, no see, Lee Crabb.” He said, his voice slightly darkened.

Lee Crabb took another quick drink and set his mug back on the table. He then got up off from his seat and began to walk towards the table where Darcy and Elijah were. Darcy noticed that some of the people in the building were glancing over at Crabb, but no one said a word to him. And Crabb looked like he was ignoring them.

Once he got to them, Crabb placed a hand on the wall and leaned against it. A smile appeared on his face, but Darcy could tell it was a fake smile. “How nice of you to show up. I haven't seen you here for a while.” Crabb then turned his head toward Darcy. “And who are you?”

The tone of the man's voice caused Darcy to flinch and glare at him. The way he talked reminded her of the sailors who had seized her on the ship when the storm struck. “That is not of your concern, Crabb.”

At first, Crabb narrowed his eyes at the girl, but then smiled slightly and let out a half-hearted chuckle. This behavior startled, and then angered, Darcy.

“What's so funny?” She demanded.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Lee Crabb turned his attention back to Elijah, a frown appearing on his face. “So tell me, Elijah. What are you doing here? Not bringing up another of your confounded 'dragon purification' plans, are you?” When Elijah didn't answer, Crabb pressed on a little more. “You know no one's going to fall for it. I've seen what you do around here. Constantly rounding up people, constantly trying to recruit them in your preachy, zealous ways...”

Elijah immediately got out of his seat and walked up to Lee Crabb, who just stood there, a blank stare on his face, as Elijah glared at him with teeth slightly bared. “At least I am trying to do something about this forsaken island! And what about you? You constantly say that you don't like this place, and yet you never lift a finger to do anything about it!”

Crabb jabbed a finger in Elijah's direction. “Now you listen here. I may not like it here, but I wouldn't want to follow someone like you, either, someone who is nothing but a conspiracy-riddled, screaming preacher who...”

Elijah suddenly cut him off. “And you're just as bad as those heathen monsters!”

As the two men got into a heated argument, Darcy got up from her seat and took a few steps back, watching at a safer distance. She hadn't known Crabb that long, but she was already starting to dislike him. He seemed to be a traitor to both sides. He didn't like Dinotopia, but he had no interest in liberating it like Elijah did. Darcy couldn't help but feel perplexed by this. Why wouldn't Crabb want to help? Perhaps he was brainwashed, just like everyone else.

No, that wouldn't make sense. She shook that thought out of her mind. If these people were brainwashed, wouldn't they be like the other Dinotopians of the island, enslaved by the dinosaurs and tricked into believing it to be a harmonious life? After all, Elijah hadn't made any indication that these people had been corrupted by those horrible beasts.

Darcy looked around the room. She couldn't see any of the dragons in Black Fish Tavern. She assumed they must have all left. Some of the people had also left, but many others had remained. And nearly all of them, one by one, were taking interest in the argument going on between Elijah and Crabb. They were coming towards them, gathering around, yet keeping their distance.

“What do you think is going on?” One whispered in a harsh voice.

Another snickered. “I don't know, but it outta be good.”

Darcy started to feel apprehensive about all these men getting so close. She spotted a few women as well, but none of them looked approachable; they looked just as scraggly and mean-looking as anybody else in this place. Darcy knew she could defend herself, but not against this many people, if they decided to turn on her.

But none of them paid her a passing glance; they were focused on the tension growing between Crabb and Elijah. Some were trying to egg the fight on, shouting encouragements for Elijah and Crabb to fight, while others just waited to see what would happen. To some of their disappointment, Elijah and Crabb were ignoring their shouts to fight, instead choosing to talk to each other.

“See here.” Crabb was the first to speak since the crowd gathered around. “I don't like these 'dragons' you speak of, those scaleys. But tell me, Mr. Elijah, what could any of us possibly have to gain from picking a fight one of them giants?”

“Why, freedom of course!” Elijah said, his voice slightly raised higher than before.

Crabb only shook his head. “Uh huh...” was his response as he slowly shook his head once. “And let's suppose you do manage to convince some of these people to join you, what then?”

Elijah's eyes narrowed and he spoke in a confused tone, “What do you mean?”

“I mean how are you going to take down these 'reptilian monsters'? A single Brachiosaurus would be more than a match than all of us combined.” Crabb couldn't help but chuckle, as if he didn't take Elijah's plan very seriously. “What are you going to do? Swing your sword at one? It'll be nothing more than a stick to a creature that size.”

“There's got to be a way to do it!” Elijah raised his voice again, laced with determination and anger. “We have the divine right to...”

Crabb cut him off. “Divine right for this. Divine right for that.” He spat to the ground. “All you preachers are alike! Constantly giving your speeches, riling people up, causing trouble...”

“And if everyone were like you, evil would have conquered us a long time ago!” Elijah shouted angrily.


End file.
